[4] The village grew up around the Viosen area on the shore of the lake.

The Nordlandsbanen railway line runs through the village, stopping at Snåsa Station.

The name is derived from the word snǫs which means "prominent mountain" or "overhanging rock" (possibly referring to the mountain of Bergsåsen, at the inner end of the lake Snåsavatnet).

On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name to Snaasa.

[6] On 21 December 1917, a royal resolution enacted the 1917 Norwegian language reforms.